Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti: a Bathrobe in Heaven

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This is the striking view after you take the gondola just across the river from the Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti in Ortisei, Italy. Max Hartshorne photos

Adler Spa Can Cure What Ails You…Really!

By Max Hartshorne
GoNOMAD Editor

Patrick Planckensteiner & Manuel Kaneppele, managers of the ADLER Spa Resorts Dolomiti
Patrick Planckensteiner & Manuel Kaneppele, managers of the ADLER Spa Resorts Dolomiti

The Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti is right in the middle of the small Alpine village of Ortisei in the Dolomites.

It overlooks the mountains, with architecture that’s beautifully integrated into the alpine setting.

It was easy for my taxi driver to find it, after we drove about 45 minutes north from the nearest train station in Bolzano, winding up the mountain road and gaining altitude en route.

The scene as we walked through the clubby bar, accented with local hardwood, was serene, and most of the guests wore the familiar garment–a white robe–to relax around the pool and in the spa.

Bathrobes are the normal attire in the garden near the pool at Adler Dolomite Resort and Spa.
Bathrobes are the normal attire in the garden near the pool at Adler Dolomite Resort and Spa.

Medical Staff on Hand

The Adler Spa hotel is for more than just massages and facials.

The hotel has medical staff on hand and can cure a host of ailments, and the refreshing views, relaxing pool and attentive staff ensure tranquility remains the dominant feeling here.

The family-run hotel group has five properties in Italy. Dolomiti and Balance are in the center of Ortisei, connected through an underground tunnel and featuring a unique setting in the middle of a lush green 97,000 square feet park landscape.

Along with its comprehensive spa, ADLER Balance is also home to the ADLER MED Health Center, where doctors, nurses, and therapists can help each guest create a program that might include prevention and diagnosis of chronic health conditions; stress management; weight loss, and nutrition counseling; physical therapy; and dermatological treatments.

Indoor pool at the Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti.
Indoor pool at the Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti.

ADLER Lodge ALPE, an eco-friendly boutique lodge that complies with the Klimahaus Nature standards, is in the Dolomites’ Alpe di Suisi ski area.

ADLER Spa Resort THERMAE, in Bagno Vignoni, Tuscany, is famous for its complex of naturally fed thermal baths and pools, totaling more than 1,000 square meters.

A new hotel, ADLER Lodge RITTEN, recently opened in Lichtenstern on the high plateau of Renon, above South Tyrol’s capital city of Bolzano.

One thing has not changed: The Sanoner family, who have owned and managed the properties for seven generations continues to steer the enterprise.

The village of Ortisei, Italy.
The village of Ortisei, Italy as seen from Adler.

The Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti is the oldest of the Sanoner family’s hotel properties, it was built in 181o.

The name goes back many generations, and the hotels are all still in the same family. The owners live in Ortisei to this day, a stone’s throw from the main hotel!

Truly Luxe

This is a truly luxurious hotel resort, from the moment I sipped their signature homemade iced tea, it was clear that they take great care of their guests and can count on generations of repeat visitors from Europe’s elite.

When you order a beer at the Adler, you get a lot more than just the beer. They like to take care of their guests.
When you order a beer at the Adler, you get a lot more than just the beer. They like to take care of their guests

Order a beer on the patio and the kind server brings a cute little plate of delicious bites.

But they take wellness pretty seriously too, and their guests enjoy vigorous hiking and mountain biking before donning their robes to enjoy the inside and outdoor pools.

“Every day at 10 am, there are two guided hikes and two guided mountain bike trips, starting in the lobby, with expert local guides. These are included in the room charges, complimentary for all, Caroline told me.

They also offer a shorter Nordic walking class, and yoga, stretching, and other fitness classes.

When you borrow one of the hotels electric mountain bikes, you can ride along this rushing river and take a gondola with your bike to ride down the mountain.
When you borrow one of the hotel’s electric mountain bikes, you can ride along this rushing river and take a gondola with your bike to ride down the mountain.

The Famous Adler Spa

There are three areas of Adler’s spa, the first is called “Water World,” with 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor pools, from a saltwater grotto to a freshwater lake, with six different saunas and steam baths.

There is also a climbing wall and a place for kids to play. Kids of any age are welcome here, unlike the Adler ALPE which is just for grown-ups.

Getting Balanced

Adler's famous spa is ready for massage, facials and many other treatments.
Adler’s famous spa is ready for a massage, facials, and many other treatments.

BALANCE, Adler’s sister property, has 31 suites and it’s for adults over 16 only. The medical staff includes doctors and highly qualified therapists who can diagnose and address the medical issues of their guests.

Weight loss, detox, and special wellness menus are on tap here.

But they also allow their guests to enjoy some of the luxuries like fine wines, whiskey, and desserts, at the hotel next door.

All Five Star

Caroline Pescoll said all of the Adler hotels are five stars, and most of their guests come from Italy, followed by German, Austria, and Switzerland.

The Adler Hotel in Ortisei, Italy, South Tyrol.
The Adler Hotel in Ortisei, South Tyrol, Italy.

The guests from Germany prefer the high altitude Adler Lodge, which is only about five minutes from the main hotel, reachable by gondola. There is also a road to get there, but it’s way more fun to get there by gondola.

I took an electric mountain bike up that gondola and was amazed by the view when we got to the top. See top photo, it’s better than anything I could capture.

Suffice to say, when you glimpse the carpet of green that leads up to the dramatic grey Dolomiti mountain range, you can’t help but be awed.

Be sure to take in the incredible mountain views with a hike or an electric mountain bike excursion. For more information: https://www.adler-resorts.com/en/

Our trip to the Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti was sponsored, but the opinions are all our own. 

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